Early Acts of Appeasement

The Japanese invades Manchuria because it is rich in Natural
Resources They
Moved their army in to Manchuria (Annexed them) The League of Nation asked them to stopped but then Japan leaves the League of Nations and the League does nothing about it Japan carries out military operation in 1931 claiming Manchuria (renamed Manchukuo) After they quit the league they invade northern China (1933) The League then decided these far east conflicts had no effect on Europe and ignored this situation

German Rearmament

Hitler introduces conscription in Germany (Breaks the Treaty of Versailles) France, Britain and Italy all meet to discuss what they should do about GermanyMussolini soon loses interest and then Mussolini signs naval agreement with Hitler (after he has Invaded Abyssinia)France signs a treaty with U.S.S.R. And then in March 1936 Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland because of the French treaty with the U.S.S.R. (which breaking the Locarno Pact)

Italy in Abyssinia

Mussolini invades Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) because Italy had interest in colonizing there since 1895 and because Mussolini wanted to expand his empire Italy’s Army was very pathetic, Hitler lost the war because he had to bail them out time and time again (The Italian's didn’t understand why they were fighting in Africa) Abyssinian's appealed to the league for help and they don't really help them, they told Italy that if they stooped fighting they would get a part of Abyssinia, they end up taking over Abyssinia and this signals the end of the League although they are around till 1945

Final Acts of Appeasement

Anschluss

Going against the Versailles treaty (again) Germany tries to take over Austria 1934 Dolfuss affair (Nazis assassinate Austrian Chancellor) 1936 Austro-German Treaty signed. (Austria becomes a cultural state of Germany) Chancellor Schuschnigg called Plebiscite to be held in March 1938 Hitler then called on Schuschnigg to resign in favor of the leader of Austria Nazi party named Seyss-Inquart Seyss-Inquart was informed to call on the German army to restore law and order March 1938 German troops roll into Austria Seyss-Inquart passes a law that abolishes Austrian sovereignty A month later a “plebiscite” is held 99.75% vote in favor of unification with Germany

Mussolini steps in with a four power conference in Munich Hitler agrees to wait until he occupies Benes then resigns in favor of Emil Hacha who agrees to the annexation So in Feb. 1939, The Slovak state became turbulent and the Czechs threatened to move in. Hitler still recognized this as the Slovak state and moved in German troops to “protect” it Hacha visits Hitler in March 1939 and is told to sign away Czech independence which he ends up doing

Sudentenlan/Czechoslovakia

An ethnic German area of Czechoslovakia where 3.5 mil. Germans lived. Neville Chamberlain wants Czech leader, Benes to give up the Sudentenland in order to prevent war In the end Benes agreed to the Sudentens demands in order for the crisis to endBut Hitler does not want this he wants all of Czechoslovakia. He ends up getting all of Czechoslovakia and says “I have no more territorial claims to make in Europe.”

The Spanish Civil War

The King Abdicates and a republic is formedThey had two different groups the Nationlist (lead by Francisco Franco) and the Republicans (the public supported them) The Italy and Germany support Nationalists with troops and equipment (Germans try out new tactics such as Blitzkrieg and the luftwaffe bombing of cities like Guernica)

Summary

The world when to great lengths to keep the world from breaking out into WWII. Although you can kind of see Hitler kind of preparing for WWII with the Spanish civil war.